After getting taken 8th overall, Casey Mittelstadt has become the highest Minnesota NHL entry draft pick in 10 years.

Casey Mittelstadt was taken by the Buffalo Sabres with the 8th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The new head coach for the Sabres is Phil Housley, who was born in St. Paul.

The 2017 Mr. Hockey award winner is the highest draft pick from the land of 10,000 lakes since 2007 when Certin-Derham Hall defenseman Ryan McDonagh was taken 12th overall by the Montreal Canadiens. In 2006, Erik Johnson from Bloomington was taken 1st overall before playing at the University of Minnesota for one season.

Mittelstadt will play college hockey at the University of Minnesota for the Golden Gophers this fall.